


Unexpected Song

by ShadowReaver



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Graphic Description, Idiots in Love, Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes - Freeform, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Reaper76 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2020-10-26 18:11:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20746556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowReaver/pseuds/ShadowReaver
Summary: When death is staring you in the face it really can change your perspective.  However, proposing to your boyfriend while on your death bed may not be such a great idea in hind sight.AKA Gabriel proposes to Jack thinking he is going to die and tries to make it right.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this forever and finally finished it. I'm not super happy with the ending but I may come back and change that eventually but I'm just proud to have finished it. Motivation can be hard and over course the 20 order WIP that want to compete for attention. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Jack could barely make out the muffled shouts of his team over the high-pitched ringing in his ears. Of course, things would have to take a turn against them right when they thought everything was going smoothly. Well, as smoothly as trying to wipe out a small terrorist cell could go anyway. Overwatch had called in reinforcements from Blackwatch knowing they were going to have to strike the small yet dangerous group hard and fast knowing that the Special-Ops team would come in handy. So honestly , things had been going in their favor. Far more than they had expected it to. Though he guessed getting shot at might not seem that way to most others but for their line of work it was another day in the office. What had thrown them though was the large explosion that sounded out during the middle of their firefight.

What their intelligence had not managed to mention was the fact that the old run-down factory they were at had once been site  of a battle in the  Omnic Crisis. There really was no one to blame on this mishap as there were so many minor skirmishes throughout the Crisis that there were bound to be numerous fights and locations not logged. So, it was a surprise to both sides when one of the terrorist grunts stepped on something giving up a loud click. The last thing he had heard clearly was the Blackwatch Commander's voice yelling through the comm to take cover. He had managed to duck behind some machinery and could only hope and pray that everyone was alright.

Releasing a ragged breath, he closed his eyes and shook his head trying to clear away the thoughts of dread lingering there. Opening his eyes, he turned to peak around the corner of his hiding spot trying to get an idea of how bad the damage was. The smoke still hung thick in the air making it difficult to see anything. He could hear the rumble and creak of twisting metal as the rusted walls and ceiling threatened to give in.

"Everyone, check in." He ordered firmly. He needed to know what the damage was so that  he  would know how to proceed. 

"McCree checking in. No injuries though I am sure to have one hell of a headache later." The cowboy groaned. "Got Tracer here too but I think she is a little worse for wear..."

"I'm fine." Tracer's weak, shaky voice finally announced. "Little shaken but nothing is hurting.  N ot sure how I ended up over here but thank goodness for it."

" Genji here." The Shimada's voice cut through. "Seems the blast caught our friends by surprise. Currently no enemies in the immediate area." Jack let out a  sigh .  O f course, the cyborg could not have waited to check that out. Though he guessed if anyone could get away with something so foolish it would be him.

"Confirmed," Ana added in from her hiding place up on the catwalk. "Most have fled out into the outlying buildings. Probably afraid there are more explosives sit t ing around. I have visuals on all of you except for Reyes. I did not see where he went to take cover."

Jack  felt a sense of dread try to take root in the pit of his stomach. He began to look around hoping that his scanner over his right eye might be able to help pinpoint where the Blackwatch Commander might be. He was just about to yell out when he heard a low groan over the comm.

"Well, that's just going to ruin my whole day..." Reyes' annoyed voice finally rang out. Jack let out a breath he did not realize that he had been holding. The man was alive though something was definitely wrong. Had he not known the man for as long as he had he might have missed it. There was pain edging into his tone as he tried to hide it as annoyance.

“Commander Reyes,” Jack called through the comm trying not to let his feelings get away from him. They had a mission to complete and he knew better than to jump to conclusions. Just because the man was in pain did not mean he was seriously injured. If he was well enough to joke around like  that, he should be alright.

“Nothing to worry your pretty little head about boy scout.” Came the teasing tone over the line. “Just a little beat up is all, I’ve had worse. So, can someone give me a SITREP?”

“Everyone is good to go, the members of the terrorist cell scattered though making life a little harder.” Ana stated firmly over the line. “There are a few buildings lying just outside this one. Old office buildings and storage areas most likely.”

“Ana, if you can find a good vantage point on the roof where it hasn’t collapsed in, do so.” Jack ordered. “If anyone tries to flee out of those buildings, we need to know about it to stop them. I would like to take as many as possible in alive for questioning but do what you must to keep them from leaving.”

“Everyone needs to spread out.” Gabriel added in. “We don’t have time to just sit around. They know we are here now which puts us at a disadvantage. However, the explosion threw them off so let's use that. Don’t do anything heroic, if you need to back off and find assistance. If you can , stay together as much as possible.”

“You got it  _ Jefe _ ,” Jesse stated. “Tracer and I will head out together since we’re already all cozied up.”

“I’ll keep an eye on  Genji ,” Ana stated. “I have the perfect vantage point into the office building. I can easily track him and if he needs assistance all he has to do is run into one of the rooms facing the factory.”  Genji’s only response was a quiet affirmative.

“Jack you head to the other storage building and I will join you as soon as I can. Trapped in a hallway over on the other side,  debris is blocking me off and I have to find another way around. Keep chat t er down and only open the comms when you need something. We don’t know what they can hear.” The Latino’s ton e did not leave any room for an argument.

“Alright everyone you heard him. Let’s finish this.” Jack added on reaching up to turn of the comm unit in his ear. He let out a sigh as he turned on his heel and rushed out of the broken-down factory. Something was off but he did not have time to question it. They were now on a time crunch to get this done. He just had to hope that Gabriel knew what he was doing and was alright. The sooner they finished this up the better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Reaching up to turn off his comm unit Gabriel let out a pained groan as he dropped his hand back down to the large gash that was in his side. Looking down he could see blood spilling from beneath his shaking fingers. Leaning back against the wall was helping to maintain his balance while he assessed his own situation. He  grit s his teeth as he removed his hands and pulled the torn-up cloth of his hoodie and undershirt to further inspect the damage that was done.

The wound was extensive, cutting from his right hip up to just shy of his bellybutton. He was pretty sure that it had cut all the way through into his abdominal cavity though he was really not wanting to find that out. He knew he was in bad shape even with his enhanced healing factor. Wounds like this were deadly even for a Super Soldier. He had seen his fair share of SEP Soldier s fall to such injuries, Jack having almost been one of them on a few occasions. He needed to get this closed up and the bleeding stemmed if he wanted to make it out of here.

Reaching into a pouch at his side he pulled out a package of sterile, ready to use needle and thread. Tearing it open he took the hooked needle in hand turning once again to the wound. Using his other hand, he held the two parts together as best he could before quickly, if a bit inelegantly, stitched himself together. It might not look the prettiest but it would keep his insides from falling out and hopefully help stem the bleeding if only a little bit. One last search in his pouch and he located the biotic shot he had been given and injected it as close to the wound as he dared.

A wave of relief ran through him as the pain began to ebb away. Once sure he would be steady on his feet he pushed away from the wall and removed his shotgun s from their holsters on his hips. He quickly made his way through the winding hallways and out into the open air between buildings. He glanced around and just caught the signature blue coat disappearing into the farthest building. He shook his head at that knowing that Jack had obviously been taking his time in making his way to the warehouse. It did make it easier to find where he needed to go but put Jack in more danger than needed. He would have to talk to him about that later...for probably the thousandth time.

Keeping as low as he could he made his way over to the door that he had seen Jack disappear into. Reaching for the handle he found it to be locked. He let out a quiet groan of annoyance that the man had not even bothered to secure his own possible exit. It had not been that long since he had been out in the field so he should know better. Looking around he spotted another door that sat ajar a little further down the wall. Upon reaching it a quick inspection let him know that it was a door that’s latch did not work to hold it shut. It would allow anyone to come in after him but his exit would not be blocked off. He hated that unknown but as he heard the telltale sound of a Heavy Pulse Rifle firing from somewhere in the building his choice was made for him. He needed to get in there and help that idiotic boyfriend of his.

*~*~*~*~*

Gabriel let out a few choice curses as he stealthily made his way through the building. He had that itching feeling like someone was watching him and he knew better than to ignore it. He had noted that the security cameras had power  meaning someone was watching and allocating resources to where they needed to be. He hated being the one without the advantage.

Thus far he had only met minor resistance from the actual terrorist group. It would seem that the actual man-power was being diverted to taking down those that were not currently in a weakened state. However, that did not help those lucky few that had met their gruesome end looking down the barrel of one of his shotguns. He was being kept on his toes and being forced to stay on the defensive. Sadly, due to his current state a few had managed to get in a few lucky shots, a few bullets managing to have grazed his arm s, shoulder s, and legs, another  man  in a  close - range scuffle managed to get a good punch to his wounded side before his brains were blasted out.

Letting out a growl he had to stop and lean against one of the walls in the hall he was currently moving down as the wound in his side gave another painful pulse. There was obviously more damage than he had anticipated and he felt his strength beginning to slowly fade away.  He could feel blood beginning to drip from the wound at a rather alarming pace. The earlier trickle opening up into something far more dangerous.  He needed to find Jack and he needed to find him fast. Periodically he would hear the distinctive sound of the Pulse Rifle and would attempt to head the direction that he heard it coming from.

He was sure he had to be close, the last firefight had sounded like it was just a few hallways over. But it always seemed like his path was blocked. Whoever was messing with him was going to get a hard hit to the face when he found them. With that set in his mind he pushed off the wall and continued to try and find his way back to his partner.

He carefully made his way down the hall checking each door as he came across it. Eventually one would have to give letting him into a new area. He just hoped that where he was being led could eventually get him to Jack. Letting out a sigh he tried yet another  door, this one giving way with a screech of rusted hinges. Well if the cameras did not give him away then that certainly would.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance he pushed the door further open to allow him through. What greeted him was a mostly empty warehouse. Some crates sat along the walls while a few rusting pieces of machinery took up the far end. Looking around he made a note where all of the doors were. There were a few on the wall that lead back into different parts of the facility and one large rolling door on the far side that would lead outside. He guessed if all else failed he could get outside and wait it out. But he had not heard anything from the others teams yet meaning that they too had probably run into a little trouble.

Stepping forward he tried his best to keep aware of his surroundings but his head was starting to become fuzzy. He felt like each step he took was dragging and knew that he was in trouble. It had been a long time since he had been in this type of shape. Probably not since the end of the  Omnic Crisis if his mind was supplying him the right information. When he stumbled over his own feet, he knew staying in this building was no longer an option. He cursed his own stubbornness for not calling it quits and returning back to their transport when he had the chance. He could have helped out more by monitoring them from afar and helping guide them. Holstering both guns, he once again leaned up against the wall before reaching up to the comm device in his ear.

"Commander Morrison." He managed out hoping he did not sound as bad as he felt.

"Commander Reyes, are you alright?" came Jack's worried reply over the line and he could not help but let out a sigh of relief at hearing it. It meant the man was alright.

"I am. .. not fairing as well as I would like." He stated knowing outright lying to the man would get him nowhere.

"Where are you?" Jack grunted and he could hear the distinct sound of the man's pulse rifle bashing in someone's face.

"Some sort of Warehouse at the far end of the building from where we entered." He tried his best to explain as he closed his eyes to try and concentrate.

"I'm heading your way. Would be faster if these assholes would just get out of the fucking way." Gabriel could not help the smile that crossed his face at those words. Jack was never much one for cursing  now-a-days  but when he was worried the filter disappeared. "Just find someplace to hold up and I'll come get you. I promise."

With an affirmative grunt he let the line close down as he opened his eyes to try and regain his bearings. Reaching down he pulled the large knife he kept on his belt out not willing to be without some sort of weapon. He might prefer his guns but in his current condition he did not think he could handle the kickback even if he somehow managed to tolerate their weight. He was not going to take any more chances than he already had.  Looking around he slowly pushed off from the wall and began to make his way to the nearest stack of crates. He tried to stay out of the rays of light that managed to make their way through the dirty windows lining the top of the walls.

All his enhanced senses proved to be worthless in his current state. This was proven as he was grabbed from behind. He ran on pure instinct bringing the knife back to stab his attacker in their thigh. He was roughly released with a curse causing him to stumble forward. Catching himself he quickly swept his leg around just as his attacker moved to pull the knife from his thigh. Gabriel delighted in the pained scream that left the man as his legs were painfully taken out from under him. Apparently, they were underestimating his abilities as a wounded party. Without a second thought he pounced on the man pinning him to the ground before slamming his fist into his face.

“I’m tired of dealing with this shit so I am going to ask you once, and only once. Where is your boss?” He growled out as the man sputtered around his suddenly broken and bleeding nose. While he gave the man a moment to straighten himself out , he reached for the knife behind him that was still embedded in the man’s thigh. He forcefully pulled it out earning yet another pained yell from the man as he ignored the aching in his own side. Bringing the knife forward he made a show of examining it before meeting the frightened gaze looking up at him. “Time’s up.”

The man begged and sputtered beneath him as he made to slam the knife into the man’s throat. Begging and pleading that he would cooperate. He tilted his head to the side as an indication to continue as the man began to spill out all the information that he knew. Typical terrorist bullshit if you asked him. However, any information was  good information and h e knew better than to discount it. He just hoped the man stopped babbling soon because he was not sure how much longer his strength was going to hold out. Even now he could feel the last strings of it fading.

Having heard enough he slammed his fist into the man’s face once again effectively knocking him out. He would have to send  Genji and McCree back here to gather him up to take in for further questioning. Hopefully they would be able to find a few others to be able to corroborate his story and perhaps knew a little bit more. Letting out a sigh he slowly pulled himself up with the help of a hand on a nearby crate. He reached his hand up once again to his comm and pressed the button.

“Commander Morrison…” he managed out sounding more breathless  than he really cared to admit. “Hope you are getting close because…” He did not even get to  finish what he was going to say before he was grabbed and thrown  into the nearest wall. He let out a cry of pain as someone then slammed their fist into his side  causing a few of the stitches to pop. He could hear Jack’s concerned  voice on the other end of  the line but he could not find the air to respond. He vaguely noted the sounds of the others through the now open line but be ha d little time to think on it as the device was pulled from his ear. Growling he made to lunge at his new attacker but the  hand dug furthe r into his wound halting him. He could only watch as t he man threw it somewhere behind him.

“Though the explosion was not something that was planned I must say that it did work in my favor.” The man chuckled. “Even the supposedly indestructible Commander Reyes has his limits.”

“If you are thinking that you can use this to your advantage to get information  you are sadly mistaken. You  won ' t get anything from me.” Gabriel managed to spit out despite the fact it was getting increasingly harder to breathe.

“Oh, I know. Doesn’t mean that I can’t have a little fun making you suffer. You’ve been a thorn in my side for a while now. Time to return the favor.” Gabriel was not sure when the other man had gotten hold of his knife but he cursed his lack of attention as it cut through the blood-soaked  clothes  before cutting through the stitches that had not already been torn out.

Gritting his teeth and letting out a growl he tried to throw the man off only to have the free arm slam against his throat  nearly blocking out his airway completely. His hands immediately flew to grasp onto the limb though his strength finally decided to fail him. All he could do was hang on  and hope that one of the others showed up soon.  It may be hard to bring him down but he was not  invincible, this man knew this and was taking full advantage.

“ You Super Soldiers really are a wonder.” The terrorist noted . “ Any other man would be dead by n ow yet you just keep on going. ” Without any warning the knife was shoved through the wound and up to puncture through his diaphragm and lung. He could not hold back the strangled cry of  pain , weakly struggling against the arms holding him as he began to taste blood at the back of his throat.  He felt as the hand released the handle leaving the knife in place  before it turned to root around his insides to  cause more damage.

_ Jack…please hurry…it hurts so much… _ Gabriel pleadingly thought as he struggled for  air. He let out a wet cough and could feel  the f rothing  blood drip from the corner of his mou th.  His vision was beginning to blur from the pain. He let out another gurgled cry of pain  as the hand inside him  grasped onto something and twisted.  Closing his  eyes, he tried to focus on just taking each increasing difficult breath.  He missed the flash of blue and yellow coming through one of t he doors on the opposite wall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Jack felt his panic rising with every step he took. Though his lover’s communicator had been removed the line had remained open. He could hear every cry of pain, each wheezed and gurgled breath. He pushed himself harder, ignoring the sting of his own wounds. They might hurt but none of them were going to kill him. Having left the line  open , he could hear the others scrambling in their attempt to make it to their wounded Commander's side. None of them had actually checked in so he was going to have to assume that they were holding out alright. It was not something that he could worry about now.

Rushing for the open door at the end of the hallway he came into the warehouse that the Blackwatch Commander had described.  His eyes widened in horror at the sight that greeted him. His lover was pinned to the wall with an arm against his throat and one buried deeply into his abdomen. He did not hear what the man was saying as he could only focus on the  pained whimpers and gurgling wheezes that left the  Blackwatch Commander.

Throwing his pulse rifle into its holster on his back he rushed forward throwing his arm around the man's throat in a chokehold. The man had been so focused on Gabriel that he had not heard his approach making  it that much easier. In his shock the man immediately released his grip on the Latino reaching both hands up to latch onto his arm uselessly. Above him he heard one of the windows shatter ing and the sound of something landing behind him. He took a chance to glance back to spot  Genji . Letting out a growl he released his hold and threw the man to him. "Get him and the other tied up and quiet, they are coming with us." He growled out only waiting to see the affirmative nod from the ninja before turning back to Gabriel.

Without the support of the  man pinning him,  he had crumpled to the ground, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth as he coughed blood onto the floor. Falling to his knees before the wounded man he reached out to his lover not missing the fact that he flinched away from his hands. "Shh, it's alright Gabe...It's just me..." He tried to soothe. "Look at me Angel..."

Pain filled, amber eyes finally opened to meet his own. The broken noise that left the older man broke his heart. Gently he reached out again to pull the Latino against his chest. He whispered words of encouragement trying to soothe away the pathetic whimpers that left the broken  man in his arms. He threw caution to the wind allowing the  nicknames he used for his lover to fall from his  lips. Gabriel's comfort was more important to  him at the moment  than anything. " I know it hurts sweetheart but I'm going to need to lay you down so I can better see what is going on."

He felt a gentle nod against his shoulder as the man tried to take a few calming breaths only to break out in wheezing, gurgling coughs splattering blood across his armor and jacket. As gently as he could manage, he shifted the other man around until he could lay him down against the hard ground. He reached back and gathered the bottom of his blue duster before tearing it and gathering the fabric into his hands. When he looked back to his  lover , he was horrified to see the man attempting to dig up through his own wound. Immediately he dropped the fabric and grasped the other's bloodied wrists and pried them out of the gaping wound.

"Gabe, what the hell do you think you are doing?" He demanded looking into glazed amber eyes. He felt his panic spiking up even higher, was he  already  so delirious from the blood loss and pain? He felt the sting of tears in his eyes when the other man's weak attempts at breaking free stopped. It was only then that he released his grip and helped rest the now limp arms at his lover's side.

"Jack..." The weak plea was barely loud enough to get his attention from where he went to once again gather the fabric of his jacket to once again try and place it to the wound. "Knife...lung..."

Jack's eyes widened in shock as he looked around to see where exactly this knife was. He could not see one and had not seen one when the man had been sitting up. That combined with the man's actions only a few moments ago indicated only one possibility. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for what he was going to have to do. "I'm sorry Bab y , I know this is going to hurt but you have to make sure that you hold still. I promise, I will make this as fast as possible."

When he was sure the Latino was as ready as he was going to  be , he slowly worked one hand into the open wound trying to ignore the warm, gross feeling of blood and organs against his hand and wrist. As carefully and quickly as he dared, the knife handle eased into his grip and with one smooth motion it was pulled out. Tossing the thing to the side he grabbed  a biotic emitter and slammed it down onto the ground next to them. He felt as it set to work on his own wounds while he pressed the bunched-up fabric of his torn coat to the wound and applied pressure.

"Commander Morrison."  Genji called with a surprising amount of gentleness from somewhere behind him. "What are your orders?"

"Lena..." Jack snapped probably a little more forcefully than was  necessary . He hoped that she would be able to forgive him for the circumstance.

"At your service, Commander." Came the subdued reply from the normally chipper pilot.

"I want you to get that Transport as close as possible to our location. Ana, I want you to cover her and take out anyone that tries to interfere." Jack stated ignoring the affirmative responses. "McCree and  Genji , I want you to sweep the facilities for any remaining members of this cell. I want them all found and taken out with extreme prejudice. I want them dead." Jack growled forcefully. Normally he would make sure the option was given to surrender for interrogation , however, in this situation he was willing to make an exception. They had a few to get information out of and that was good enough for him. He wanted these people wiped off the face of the planet for what they did to his love.

Jack was brought out of his  thoughts by the gentle touch of blood slick fingers against his cheek. He turned his attention back to Gabriel's face seeing that the biotic  emitter must have eased enough of the pain for the man to have gained a little bit of energy back. There was a small smile on his paling lips. God, when was that last time he had seen him with so little color? It was something he had hoped to never have to see again.

"Hey..." The voice was weak and thin, straining to be heard. Jack gave a nod of acknowledgement not wanting to interrupt something that the wounded man felt so important to waste his energy on. A wet cough forced its way through him causing his body to convulse in pain from the effort, a little more blood pooling at the corner of his mouth to run down his cheek.  “Marry...me?”

"God damn it, Gabe." Jack sobbed, tears now flowing freely down his face.  He knew Gabriel was fishing for something to hang on to. He knew he was in bad shape and needed something, anything, to hang on to life for. The older man was slipping away and desperate if he was asking such a thing right now.  "Of course, I couldn't think of anything that would make me happier. So, don't you give up on me now...you better fucking live. You can't leave me alone with the knowledge of what could have been. I don't know what I would do without you..." He added while shaking fingers clumsily wiped away his tears. He so desperately wanted to catch that hand as it finally lost its fight against gravity and fell to the ground at his side. But instead he applied more pressure to the wound that had soaked the blue fabric red.

The gentle smile he received was all the answer he got before they began to glaze over once again from pain and blood loss. He listened as the older man’s breathing became more and more difficult, sure that his lung was probably collapsing. He needed to get a chest tube in him to allow the blood out of his pleural cavity but he had to stop the bleeding in his abdomen. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I know your tired baby but you have to stay awake for me ok?" He got a nod in response but knew that it was easier said than done. He had been in situations like this before when he was younger and honestly a little stupid. So eager to rush in and be the hero that he got himself into more trouble than was absolutely necessary. Gabriel had saved his life so many times back in the day that he never thought the tables would be turned. It was rare that anyone or anything got the better of the man so to see him broken and bleeding out on the ground was horrifying. Reaching up with a shaking hand he hit the comm device in his ear knowing they were not going to be able to keep this up for long. "Tracer, where the fuck is that Transport?" He snapped trying to hide the absolute panic that he was feeling. With each  passing  moment the love of his life seemed to grow paler and weaker.

"We're  settin ' down outside the warehouse now Commander." Jesse's firm voice responded in the pilot's stead. "She's  sendin ' out a heads up that we  ain't exactly going to be following air speed protocols so we can push this thing to its limits. Ana is  callin ' ahead  makin ' sure Angela is updated and ready to go when we get there ." Jack only spared a glance up towards the large rolling door as it screeched to life and was thrown open just high enough for Jesse to make his way under. Under his arm he held the portable stretcher they could use to safely move Gabriel onto the transport. The young man wasted no time in making his way over to them.

"Damn  it _ Jefe... _ " Jesse cursed kneeling down on Jack's opposite side. " Genji said you were  lookin ' in a god-awful state but  couldn't'a prepared me for this." The cowboy  stated ; his southern drawl thick with worry. Without another word he moved to set up the stretcher.

"We're going to get you fixed up." Jack promised finally relieving the pressure he had been putting on the gaping  wound . He helped arrange his lover's arms to help hold the compress in place while they were trying to transport him. "We're going to make this as quick as possible ok? Just need you to hold still while we get you onto the transport and secured." He would have been more than happy to just pull the man into his arms and carry him, keeping him close. But with as bad as he was he feared that it would just make  things worse. He moved up t o Gabriel's shoulders while Jesse moved down to his legs. They supported the wounded man as best they could they had to ignore the pained whines and whimpers as they picked him up just enough to move him over to the stretcher.

Once strapped into the stretcher with the biotic emitter placed on the stretcher right next to the wound. With a quick three count they had the stretcher up between them and quickly making their way onto the dropship. The door immediately shut behind them and they barely had time to strap the stretcher down to the secured gurney when they transport lifted off the ground.  Genji automatically moved to his Commander's side pressing his hands into the fabric over the wound to continue to apply pressure. Jack would have argued but he knew the Cyborg would be alright. His synthetic muscles would not tire out like his had started to do. It also seemed that he felt the need to do something to help this man who had saved his life even if it was something like this. Jesse was on his other side, holding onto a pale, bloody hand singing some of Gabriel's favorite songs in a soft croon. Ana was still up front with Tracer calling ahead to make sure things were ready for them.

Now settled back into safety, knowing that everyone else was safe and they were heading home, the exhaustion settled in.  But he had one more thing that he had to do. Gathering up the emergency supplies that he needed he let his field medic training take over. Cutting away the fabric of Gabriel’s clothing he pulled it apart enough to be able to see what he was doing. He pried his gloves off needing to be able to feel things far more acutely than he could with them on. He followed the line between two of Gabriel’s ribs finding the best place to make an incision. Grabbing the scalpel, he made his incision ignoring the spurt of blood that came as pressure was relieved from around the lung. He then inserted the tube which was connected to a collection chamber before taping it down. It was not sterile or pretty but as his lover’s breathing began to ease and even  out, he knew he had done the right thing.

With his love out of immediate danger Jack finally let his exhaustion take hold of him.  He collapsed into a seat by his lover's head leaning forward onto the gurney one hand reaching out to remove the ever-present beanie so that he could run his fingers through the short, soft curls on the top of his head. His lover turned gently towards the affection lightly humming along with Jesse doing his best to stay awake. It was here that Jack let himself be overwhelmed, letting tears fall freely. No one here would judge him for this show of emotions. They would not see it as a weakness, just a man scared and terrified of losing the person he loved most in this world. "Don't give up on me now my love..." he whispered softly. "I can't do any of this without you..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops is would seem that I forgot one part that I wrote when posting this here. So here is a little section that was missing! Though I guess it worked as it when I noticed it was missing I just had to fix it.
> 
> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Jack did not even want to know what sort of laws they broke as they raced to get Gabriel back to Zurich. All he cared about right now was making sure that his wounded lover was looked after and taken care of. He had pulled himself together just before landing, once again the powerful Strike-Commander ready to take on anyone that got in his way. Ana made h er way to his side placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Angela is on the Tarmac waiting for us to land with a blood transfusion and her best and brightest staff. They would all keel over from exhaustion before giving up on saving Gabriel's life." She assured him, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "And if anyone tries to get in the way they'll have a sleep dart in them faster than they can blink." That brought a small smile to Jack's lips. One learned quickly not to mess with the woman when she was in protective mother mode. He did not doubt the authenticity of her threat in the slightest, she would put anyone down that would possibly get in the way of saving one of her best friend's lives.

He turned to look into her warm brown eyes finding a comfort there that he sorely needed. He looked through the windows one last time to note they were on the decent and made his way back over to Jesse and  Genji . Neither had moved from the older man's side, never wavering in their vigil over their Commander. Gabriel's hand had become slack in the Cowboy's grip but he could see it twitch as he would attempt to return the gentle squeeze of the young man's hand. The man was showing a resilience that he was not sure anyone should be capable of. He had to attribute it to the presence of those closest to him, not wanting the m to suffer with his passing.

Making his way back to the head of the gurney he ran his fingers through the raven dark curls. Amber eyes fluttered open slightly to blearily look up into his own. He could see the effort that was put into the action. Leaning forward he placed a gentle kiss to the too cool forehead. "We're home my love. Just stay awake a little bit longer for me. You've done so well Sweetheart...I know it's hard..." He soothed gently at the whimper that escaped the man as the transport set down with probably a little more force than  necessary in Tracer's rush to get them out and to the awaiting medical team.

They unlocked the gurney , Genji hopping up on it to continue to hold pressure. None of them knew if it was still needed or if it was actually helping at this point but until Angela said to let up, he was staying put. When the ramp finally touched the surface of the tarmac, they moved the gurney as quickly as they dared and were immediately surrounded. It was the sort of organized chaos that he knew signified the medical team preparing for what needed to be done. Jack and Jesse were forced away from the gurney, two of the medical team taking their place to push it.

" Genji , stay where you are. Someone  get a line started and get that blood running now." Came Angela's crisp voice over the group as she moved forward, stethoscope in her ears knowing that someone would jump to her command as she checked over her patient. Before she had even lifted the stethoscope from Gabriel's chest the IV was placed and the blood running. " _ Mein  _ _ gott _ , what happened to him." She stated throwing the stethoscope around her neck before reaching to check for pulses.

"Knife wound at the very least. But there was an explosion before that, he must have been hit by shrapnel . He said he was beat up but never mentioned how bad it was. " Jack stated trying to keep up with the rushing medical team without getting in the way. However, he refused to be too far from his lover's side. Angela gave him a look that stated he better go into further detail. "It was...god...the knife was shoved up through the wound into his diaphragm..." Managed to choke out finally earning a few horrified looks including that of his team that had followed along with him leaving the captives and the plane for others to take care of.

The Doctor let out a slew of Swiss German so fast that Jack could only guess at what it all meant. Though if he could judge just by the furious face the woman wore it had to be cursing. She continued to throw around orders as they burst into the medical ward of the Zurich Headquarters. "I want all available compatible units of blood on standby, as soon as this one is  drained , I want another one running. OR is already set and ready get him situated while I scrub in.  Genji , off." She ordered everyone jumping at once to follow her orders.

She finally turned to look at the rest of the team as they watched helplessly as Gabriel disappeared behind the doors leading to the Operating Rooms. "I know the rest of you will refuse to let anyone see you for your own wounds until you know that Gabriel is alright. I do , however , request that you go clean up before placing yourself in the waiting room. This is going to take time, so get as comfortable as you can." Without another word she turned and disappeared behind the doors after Gabriel.

"Best do as she  says ..." Jesse mumbled reaching out to take Jack by the shoulders and turning to steer him away. "Let ' er catch us like this when  we're back and no  sayin ' what she'll do to us." Jack allowed himself to be steered away knowing that the Cowboy was right. If he wanted to be able to see Gabriel after she was done patching him up then he had to listen to what the woman said. She was not about to let a bloody, dirty mess anywhere near a fresh surgery patient. Letting out a sigh he began to move under his own power as they all  separated to get themselves cleaned up per the doctor's orders.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

It was hours before Angela finally made her way into the waiting room where the exhausted strike team waited for news on their friend. Most had fallen into slumber on the room's couches, Lena sprawled across one with her head in Ana's lap with  Genji and Jesse cuddled up on the other leaving Jack to take up the other end. The two older soldiers immediately looked up upon her entrance their gazes guarded knowing that anything could have happened. They did not dare get their hopes up for fear of the worst. Thankfully, she did not have to  deli ver such news to them today.

"I'm pleased to report that he made it through." Angela spoke gently with a smile attempting not to wake the sleeping operatives. "Though it is going to be a long recovery, at least by his standards. I have him under heavy sedation and on a ventilator so that his lung can heal. There was a lot of bruising on his other organs that will fade with time.  I replaced the chest tube you did to something more sterile after cleaning up the site.  His abdomen is stitched up with a drain also placed to assure no excess fluid buildup. I'm hoping with his healing factor I can get him off the vent in the next day or two but we will see."

Jack let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. He knew that if the man could make it  through the surgery then he would be alright. He once again thanked whatever the hell it was that they pumped into them during SEP knowing that without it he would have lost Gabriel today. He could feel tears  burning in his eyes and he tried desperately to blink them away. "Can I see him?" He asked weakly, his voice wavering with emotion.

" Of course,  after I get you checked over first." She stated earning from him a quiet groan. " Jack, you might heal faster than a normal person but you have nothing on Gabi. I don't want to walk back into his room later to find you passed out from your own untreated wounds. Come on."

Jack had to grudgingly agree with her as he pushed to his feet. He gave Ana a small wave which was returned before following Angela out of the room. It was definitely true that his healing factor was not on par with his lover's own. Though all members of the SEP shared the same improvements it varied from person to person. Each had a dramatic increase in their strength, speed, endurance, intelligence and healing capabilities. Gabriel's healing factor had gone beyond anyone else in the program and honestly it was that ability that had saved his life, he was the only person alive that could have survived this situation. Though along with this , his already quick and genius mind had been turned into an overclocked tactical supercomputer. It was what won them the  Omnic Crisis, without him there would  not  have been  a victory. Jack on the other hand had turned into what Gabriel had so loving called a 'high speed battering ram'. His speed, strength, and endurance made it easy for him to actually pull off the plans that his lover had been able to come up with.

Easing himself up onto one of the examination tables he let his mind drift back to reality. Removing his  shirt, he allowed Angela to clean up his own wounds, placing a few stitches that could be removed in the next few days to minimize healing time and scarring. Once  s atisfied she allowed him to jump down and redress himself before she lead him to the ICU room where Gabriel was being kept. "I do also have him in  hard- light restraints to assure that if he does come through sedation he cannot injure himself or anyone else while he is  delirious . Once he is out of sedation and off the vent I will remove them. I can't take any chance with him right now. His body is in a fragile state and it is hard to keep you super soldiers under." She explained before pressing into the room.

Jack felt his breath leave him at the sight of his lover. He knew what to expect but that did not make it any easier to see his  strong , powerful boyfriend laying deathly still in a bed with tubes, lines and drips hooked up to him. His color was at least better, no longer the deathly grey it had become though nowhere near the warm, golden-brown hue it normally was.  He collapsed into the chair that had been placed at the bedside gently taking Gabriel's hand into his own, making sure not to dislodge any of the lines attached to him. He gently laid his head down onto the bed, pillowed with his other arm just trying to be as close to the older  man as he safely could. Though he knew sleep would elude him, he closed his eyes in an attempt to rest knowing that his love was near and alive.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Gabriel awoke with a groan, his throat scratchy and painful. His entire body ached and he could feel the rattle that still was settled into his right lung. A small shift shot pain through his abdomen making him bite back a curse. Slowly he opened his eyes against the dim light of the room and allowing them to adjust. He knew he was in a room within the med bay but that was just about all he could remember. They had gotten him back into Angela's care and then his memory clouded over. Well at least he was alive , though , he had a feeling his body had been put through hell to get him that way.

Turning his head slightly he caught sight of someone sitting next to him. As his eyes adjusted to being used  again , he noted that it was Ana. She sat reading a hard-back copy of  _ Les  _ _ Miserables _ _ _ in French that he knew Amélie had loaned to her. Next to her on the bedside table sat a still steaming cup of tea. He blinked a few times trying to clear his vision further and cleared his throat before attempting to speak. "Hey..." Well at least it was something.

Ana glanced up from the book before placing in a piece of paper to mark her place before closing it. She set it on her lap as she smiled at him gently reaching for a cup of water and helping him take a sip. He drank down the entire thing gratefully before resting back against the pillows behind him. "Welcome back to the world of the living,  _ Habibi. _ " She finally stated having made  sure that he was comfortable.

"Glad to be back." He replied with a sigh. He let out a pained  groan as he attempted to shift himself into a more upright position. A gentle hand on his shoulder pressed him back into the bed before he felt the head of the bed adjust to sit him up. He gave Ana an appreciative look before resting his head back. "How long have I been out?"

"Three weeks." Ana's reply had his eyes snapping open and meeting her own. "You are a lucky man,  _ Habibi _ . It was only your healing factor that saved you this time. Expect a few lectures by the others. You don’t need to hear it from me but you know well what it is that I wish to convey."

Oh yes, he knew very well the  lecture that was awaiting him. He needed to be more careful, not be so stubborn. There were people that loved him and did not want to see him throw his life away just for a mission. It was the same lecture he gave everyone else in this situation, he really was not good at following his own advice. He guessed he could endure it for his loved ones, he knew it was just out of worry and care. He could not even imagine what they were going through right now seeing him like this when so little could actually keep him down. His poor Jack...

"Oh no..." He groaned out as it was then the memory of his proposal to his boyfriend decided to come forward. He brought a hand up to run down his face, careful of the IV's and other things currently still attached to him. Ana was giving him a questioning look but remained quiet as he tried to pull his mind together. He had proposed to the love of his life on his death bed. What had his shock and blood loss addled mind been thinking? How was that a good idea? What if he had actually died after that? What would that have done to Jack? It would have absolutely destroyed his beloved. Not only that but his lover was a romantic, this situation definitely did not qualify as that. "Ana...I  think I  fucked up..."

"What did you do Gabriel?" And away from the nicknames and onto the full first name.  Oh, he was going to be in so much trouble for this.

"I  think...I  proposed to Jack..." He whimpered softly.

"You WHAT?!" Ana exclaimed. She took the book from her lap and smacked him in the shoulder. He defended himself the best he could against the onslaught th at he in all honesty deserved. "Gabriel Reyes! You damned fool! You know Jack wanted a big romantic proposal! What the hell were you thinking?"

"That I was going to die without getting the chance to ask ?" He replied lamely trying to smack the book away from himself. With one last smack at his shoulder Ana set the book down on the bedside table and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alright, well I'll give you that one." She admitted finally. "However, you know you are going to have to do it right. Also, you know the UN, they  won't accept anything that they don't see for themselves. You are really going to have to go  all out to make this up to him."

"Already working on that. He deserves far better than that. That was never what I wanted for him. I guess I was just so afraid of never being able to ask that it just kind of slipped out. Though honestly, him saying yes was the one thing that I clung to. So, I really need to do this right as a thank you for saving my life...not sure I would have been able to hold on for that long otherwise ." He sighed as Ana leaned forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug. He rested his head on her shoulder glad to have woken up with someone there to talk to. Someone there that would listen and understand.

"Oh  _ Habibi..."  _ Ana sighed softly. "You won't be alone this time. You'll have as much help as you need to make it perfect. What you did kept you here and that is all that matters. Now you have the time to make it right."

"Thank  you, Ana ..." He sighed before resting back against the bed. "No offense to you, but I was honestly expecting to see Jack when I woke up."

"Well, he would have been had I not mandated that he return to his quarters and get some sleep." Angela's voice sounded from the door on his other side. He turned to see gentle blue eyes with a matching smile. "I had to threaten the use of Ana's sleep darts. He would work and then stay here on vigil. He managed naps but he was becoming insufferable. He only agreed to leave so long as someone stayed in case you woke up. He didn't want you to be alone."

He could feel his heart warm and grow in his chest. Leave it to his boyfriend...well...now  fiancé to make sure that he was taken care of at the expense of his own health. He could not even begin to explain how much he loved that man.  He could not help the  dopey smile that crossed his lips as Angela checked him over.

"Now Gabriel," Angela began once again regaining his attention with the change in her voice. She was no longer his friend, but his doctor. "You are incredibly lucky to be alive. Even with your healing factor I do not know how it is that you survived. Pure stubborn will for all I know. It took far longer to get you out of sedation and off the vent that I would have liked. You are healing up nicely but it is going to take some time for you to fully recover. You pushed your body to the very edge of  it s limits. You are going to need to take it easy for a while...and before you argue with me...I am not grounding you just stating that you need to take a less active role. I know how hard it is to take any time off so please, for me and those that love you, take a back seat and take it easy."

"I think that is something that I can manage." He replied with a soft smile of his own. He knew for a fact how close to death he had been. He was not about to tempt fate and push his luck. He could  definitely take it easy until he was cleared for full active duty. Besides, if he did not agree to this he knew Jack would worry. He could not allow his love to suffer any more than he already had. He let out a sigh at the thought. He really wanted Jack to sleep but he so desperately wanted to see him, make  sure that he was alright. He did not miss the look that was exchanged between the two women currently watching over him. Not that he could really blame them, ever since SEP he and Jack were practically joined at the hip when not working. He turned a pleading brown gaze towards Angela allowing it to ask the question for him.

"I will inform Jack of your status as soon as he wakes." She stated with a sympathetic smile. "The sleep dart  won't last for long and I'm sure he'll be keen to check up on you. However, I did ask him to check in with me before barging in here. In the  meantime, just... "

"I apologize for the interruption Dr. Ziegler." Athena's calming voice called into the room. "Commander Morrison awoke just a few moments ago inquiring about Commander Reyes. He is on his way and should be here momentarily." That placed a scowl on the blonde doctor's face. She grumbled under her breath about loopholes and proper protocol before finishing up what she needed to do before there was a n over-protective fussing Strike-Commander to deal with.

Angela had just finished getting him checked over by the time the door slammed open to reveal one very irritated looking blonde super soldier. The man before them dressed in just sweats and a tee shirt could hardly be called the Strike-Commander just then and every bit the worried and doting boyfriend that he was. It was only Angela pressing both her hands into the large man’s chest that kept him from rushing over to the bed though his eyes never left those of his now awake best friend.

“Jack, I know how excited you must be but I swear to god if you  aggravate his  wounds, I will personally skin you alive.” She stated firmly in a voice that brokered not argument. “His body is still in a delicate state...”

“I’m not going to break...” Gabriel grumbled under his breath before a glare from the young doctor had him turning his sheepish  expression down to  where his hands were picking and worrying the blanket over his lap. He ignored the  conversation as Jack backed off in favor of  listening to the updates she had on his condition. He glanced over to Ana when she placed her hand over his own giving it a gentle squeeze before gathering up her book and making her way out of the room. He waved with a gentle smile before turning his gaze back to Jack. The younger man returned his smile warmly before making his way over to him at a much more relaxed pace.

Jack took the now vacated seat before gently taking hold of his lover’s hand. Neither of them noticed when Angela left the room and shut the door quietly behind her. “Hey Angel.” The man grumbled happily pulling the chair as close to the bed as possible. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss to the older man’s temple before burying his face into the overgrown curls on the top of head to hide the tears that started falling.

“Glad to see you too,  _ mi  _ _ sol”  _ Gabe murmured back squeezing the blonde’s hand gently. He could feel the man trembling and he felt horrible for reducing this powerful man to tears. “I’m sorry...please forgive me for causing you so much pain.”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” Jack scolded firmly. “You’re alive and that is all that matters. We can discuss everything that happened later. Right now, the only thing that I want to do i s hold the love of my life, my fiancé.” He added with a soft smile. He felt as the older man shrugged his shoulders up in embarrassment.

“Shh, don’t worry about it love.” He soothed knowing that man was about to go into a  long-winded apology. “I understand why you did it. And if that is what kept you here with me then I’m glad you did it.” He pulled back as his lover tilted his head up to look at him. He stared into those beautiful amber eyes before leaning down for a gentle kiss. He then settled himself back into his seat ready to waste the rest of the day by his lover’s side.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Jack was not a happy man, scratch that he was downright furious and Gabriel knew he was walking into a powder keg. The blonde-haired Strike-Commander stood behind the large wooden desk in his office, arms crossed and blue eyes glinting in the light. His lips were pressed into a thin line as he tried to control his temper. He stood opposite the man dressed in full mission gear with his custom-made sniper rifled over his shoulder. He left his posture loose knowing any show of aggression from him would set Jack off. It was the last things that he needed or wanted in that moment. 

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” Jack finally growled out obviously trying to reign in his temper. “It’s only been two weeks since you were released from the medical ward and you’re leaving on a mission!” 

“Jackie...” Gabe sighed out placing his hands on his hips. He was trying to think of the best way to smooth this over with his lover when his train of thought was interrupted. 

“Don’t you Jackie me.” The blonde snapped irritably glaring down the soft amber eyes of his lover. “You’re barely healed and hardly in any condition to be going on a mission. How in the world did you convince Angela to give the ok on this? And I swear to every deity known that if you didn’t even go over this with her...” 

“Jack, please let me explain.” The Latino finally interrupted raising his hands in a placating gesture. He stepped forward and around the large wooden desk so that he could be closer to the other man. “I did go through Angela and she agreed so as long as I did not take an active role. I am acting as their pilot and will be running the mission from the ship upon landing. And before you ask the nature of this mission makes running it from base a liability, we need to keep it short range. If plans change, I need to know what is going on right then so I can adjust. If things get dicey, I’ll cover the group with sniper fire.” 

Gabriel watched as the younger man seemed to visibly deflate right there before him. The exhaustion of helping take care of him over the last few weeks catching up to him all at once. He watched as those tired blue eyes took in his sniper rifle before returning to his face. He could not even begin to understand the stress and anxiety the other man was going through right now. “You know I wouldn’t do this unless it was absolute necessary. They need me out there to help finish this.” 

“But I need you too...” came the shaky reply as tears began to stream down Jack’s face. Shock only held him for so long before he pulled the other man into his arms, feeling the death grip he placed on the hoodie under his armor. He held onto the shaking shoulders and placed gentle kisses wherever he could reach. “I can’t lose you.” 

“You won’t mi vida, I promise.” Gabriel cooed softly to his distraught fiancé. “Everything is planned out and ready to go. It’s just implementation and clean up that’s all. Won’t take more than a week and I’ll be back in time to be your date for the Gala next Friday.” He added running his hands over his lover’s back soothingly. 

“Please promise me that you’ll be careful.” He whispered desperately. They had barely been apart since Gabe had left the infirmary and it was obvious that he had not been prepared for the moment when they would have to part. “You better call me every day when you wake up and before you go to bed or I’m coming out there and dragging your sorry ass back here kicking and screaming. And you better be back on time...” 

“I promise, if things get out of hand, I’ll call the retreat and get us back home. I promise, no heroics this time round.” Came Gabe’s heartfelt response. Slowly the older man pulled away to give his lover a gentle smile. He reached up with a gloved hand and wiped away the few stray tears that still made their way down Jack’s face. He placed a gentle kiss to those pouting lips before completely pulling away. “And if I don’t make those calls you have every right to come kick my ass. I’ll call you when we land so you don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do not consent to this work or any of my work being uploaded or displayed through third party apps and websites. If you are viewing this work through an app that makes money from advertisements, please close the app and view my work for free on the original Ao3 page.

Gabriel had kept to his word down to one little detail. He was late in returning from the mission. He knew it was not the other man’s fault, bad weather kept them grounded for a few hours longer than expected. It was confirmed by the other members of the team by yelling loud enough to be picked up on their Commander’s comm unit as they spoke. It also came with the assurance that the mission went down without a hitch and with no injuries on their side to boot.

However, that did not make Jack feel much better as he leaned up against the bar at the gala in order to get himself a drink. He looked the picture of perfection in his perfectly tailored tuxedo so long as anyone did not notice the frown that marred his lips. He could feel his communicator buzzing hectically in his pocket with updates on when the team would be arriving home. He wanted nothing more than to check it but his need for professionalism won out.

Letting out a sigh he raised the glass of water to his lips to help soothe his scratchy throat. He felt like he had been on the verge of tears the entire night and the fight to keep it off his face and out of his voice was taking a toll. Talking and mingling at these events normally came so naturally to him but he wanted nothing more than to be back in his apartment with his fiancé. Thankfully for him this event was less for work and more for posterity than anything making this just a little bit easier to deal with.

“You do know that you can have something a little stronger than that. Everyone else is , so your image will remain intact. Also not like you can get drunk anyway.” He heard Ana chuckle as she moved up beside him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be here soon Jack. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I know...” he sighed setting his now empty glass down. “I don’t think I’ll feel better until I can see him  with my own eyes.” He turned towards his Second-in-Command and chuckled when he found her with an eyebrow raised and a motherly look of disappointment.

“You are supposed to be enjoying yourself. This isn’t work for once.” She chided softly letting her hand fall to take his and give it a gentle squeeze. “Besides, knocking him off his feet with  how  nice you look in that tux doesn’t work if you are just moping around.” She added with a smile and a soft chuckle.”

“I look the same no matter what I wear Ana. Can’t even tame the cowlick. You on the other hand are a vision.” Jack stated as he finally turned to face his friend. Ana’s hair was made up into an intricate loose braid that flowed down her back. Her dress was beautiful but modest. Black with golden embroidery on from the waist up through the bodice to the sweetheart neckline that was under the illusion netting ending in cap sleeves. The long, flowing skirt twisting with every movement the woman made. “Now you , he would have to gush over. I wouldn’t be surprised if he skips right over me.” He teased a smile finally appearing on his face.

“So, he only has eyes for you unless he sees a pretty dress?” Ana responded with a laugh joining in with his own. “He really can’t help himself can he sometimes. He’s such a  fashionista and designer at heart.”

“Now, let’s get you out and moving instead of just being a wallflower. Time for you to take me out for a couple dances don’t you think?” Ana then quipped snaking her arm around his and dragging him over to the dance floor. “And before you start, I know you aren’t much of a dancer, that’s Gabi’s thing again. But this is a black-tie affair and dancing skills are not required to stand and sway with the music.” Jack just let out a sigh and let himself be tugged along. He knew better than to argue when she got her mind set on something.

Once out on the dance floor Jack took Ana’s hand into his while placing his other on her waist. Her hand came up to run soothing circles on his shoulder as they settled in to the beat and a gentle sway. Thankfully, it was an easy distraction from his worry as he found himself enjoying himself as he and Ana chattered. Other members of the team decided to cut in and take their turns in distracting and cheering up their gloomy Strike-Commander. He found himself laughing after about an hour of his friends fighting over his attention. He knew they were probably making a bit of a ruckus but he really could not bring himself to care. If it was too much of a problem no one was stopping them so either they did not care, or were just as amused as he was.

He was so caught up with another dance Lena had pulled him into that he missed the group of new comers making their way into the hall from the main entrance. It was not until a firm hand landed on his shoulder and Lena began to giggle that he knew something was up. “Thank you, Lena, for keeping him  company but I think I can take it from here.” Came Gabriel’s  familiar voice from behind him.

“Of course, luv!” Lena cheered with a grin before stepping back and through the crowd. Jack did not think much on it as he spun around to see his lover dressed to perfection in his own Tuxedo. The longer hair on the top of his head was styled back, the curls showing more in a gentle wave where they were gelled in place. He knew the man had to be exhausted but his face did not show it, the man’s mastery of makeup working wonders. He could not help but throw his arms around the other man and let out a quiet whimper of relief. Strong arms wrapped around his back as he was swayed gently to the music.

“It’s alright Jackie, I’m here.” Gabriel whispered gently to him. He continued to try and soothe his beloved as he swayed to the music. “I’m sorry I’m late, please forgive me. We got here as soon as we could.”

“I know you did.” Jack finally responded after a moment of collecting his composure. He eventually pulled back and smiled up at the man. He let the older man take the lead as his hand was taken up and a firm hand was placed at this waist. “ Of course , I forgive you, I was just so worried.”

“You had every right to be worried,” Gabriel soothed as he led Jack around the dance floor without a second thought. Jack was always amazed with the level of skill this man showed for talents he claimed to have left behind many years ago. “I know it was hard for you to let me go and I promise I am back for a long time. Doctor’s orders. So, you’ll have plenty of time to fuss over me and take care of me.”

“You know me too well sometimes.” Jack chuckled lightly, his smile growing at the thought of his lover taking a decent amount of time off to heal finish healing. “And no more impromptu missions. I don’t care if Ange says it’s  ok, I am not going to approve it.”

“ Of course , _ mi  _ _ amor _ _ ,”  _ Gabriel soothed gently. “Jesse can take care of everything else for a little while. It’s what I’ve been training him for after all. What’s the point of a SIC if I can’t trust him to run things for a few weeks?”

“Good, because you are not leaving my side until I say so.” Jack shot back sternly his blue eyes ice sharp brooking no argument from the soft amber they were looking into. The even softer smile the older man gave him showed he had no such intentions.

“Of course, there is no place else I’d rather be.” Gabriel cooed softly as he continued to lead Jack around the dance floor. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to Jack’s lips in a rare show of public affection.

Jack could feel his cheeks heat up with a blush as he was successfully broken from his sour mood. He returned the gentle smile he received and relaxed into the dance he was being lead in. Still as focused as he was on his lover, he did not miss when the man turned his head to glance at someone over his shoulder and gave a nod. Curious he attempted to see who it was that the man was addressing, it was only then that he realized that everyone else had vacated the dance floor leaving only the two of them. He turned wide blue eyes back to Gabriel who just gave him a reassuring smile.

The band that had been playing all night stopped the song they had been playing earning confused mumbling from the crowd around them. It was only a few moments before they started up again in a beautiful, graceful tune that Gabriel’s happily followed as they continued to dance around the floor. Jack took that moment to once again look around at the crowd around them. It was only then that he spotted their group of closest friends standing around the edge of the circle while phones held up and recording. He was about to comment on it when the smooth, gorgeous voice of his lover came singing through the speakers set up around the room.

**_I have never felt like this_**   
**_For once I'm lost for words_**   
**_Your smile has really thrown me._**   
**_This is not like me at all_**   
**_I never thought I'd know_**   
**_The kind of love you've shown me._**

Jack’s attention snapped back to Gabriel as he continued to sing, watching him with amber eyes that shone with emotion. He could feel his own eyes sting with the hint of tears at the realization of what this was. While a romantic at heart, his Latino lover was always shy with his public displays of affection. This large of a spectacle could only mean one thing and honestly, he was having a hard time believing that this was happening. The older man had already popped the question and he had already said yes, that was more than enough for him despite his dream of a big surprise proposal.

**_Now, no matter where I am_**   
**_No matter what I do_**   
**_I see your face appearing_**   
**_Like an unexpected song_**   
**_An unexpected song_**   
**_That only we are hearing_**

He could feel his heart swelling in his chest as the first tears made their way down his face. God, he loved his man more than anything in the world. How did he get so lucky? Gabriel went against his own social anxiety to do this for him and to show to the world how much they loved one another.

**_I don't know what's going on_**   
**_Can't work it out at all_**   
**_Whatever made you choose me?_**   
**_I just can't believe my eyes_**   
**_You look at me as though_**   
**_You couldn't _****_bare_****_ to lose me._**

Finally, Gabriel pulled them to a gentle stop in the center of the dance floor. Jack could feel as he was released from their stance, as hands traveled to take his own that they were shaking. It was only then that he noticed Gabriel’s own tears. Yet despite his own emotions taking over his voice rang clear through the room.

**_Now, no matter where I am_**   
**_No matter what I do_**   
**_I see your face appearing_**   
**_Like an unexpected song_**   
**_An unexpected song_**   
**_That only we are hearing_**   


As Gabriel’s voice began to quiver with emotion Jack freed one of his hands from the death grip they were in and reached forward to brush away the crystalline tears streaking his lover’s face. He then placed his palm against the older man’s cheek in a way that he hoped showed his support and comfort. His smile only widened as the Latino leaned into the touch and his voice evened out once again, gaining confidence from the simple gesture. 

  
**_I have never felt like this_**   
**_For once I'm lost for words_**   
**_Your smile has really thrown me._**   
**_This is not like me at all_**   
**_I never thought I'd know_**   
**_The kind of love you've shown me._**   
  
**_Now no matter where I am_**   
**_No matter what I do_**   
**_I see your face appearing_**   
**_Like an unexpected song_**   
**_An unexpected song_**   
**_That only we are hearing_**   
**_Like an unexpected song_**   
**_An unexpected song_**   
**_That only we are hearing!_**

As the last note rang through the room Gabriel got down onto one knee taking Jack’s already captive hand in both of his. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against the back of it before releasing him altogether. He turned down just enough to reach for his pocket with shaking hands to dig out the small black velvet box hidden there. Once sure he had it in a sure grip, he returned his focus back up to Jack who was still staring down at him with wide blue eyes and a gentle smile.

“Jack Morrison,” Gabriel began as the silence around them grew as everyone held their breath. Jack could feel the tears start up again and make their way down his face as the man before him seemed to completely lose the words he was about to say. He was sure the man had a whole speech prepared. The amber eyes looked up into his own, panic written in them for a few moments before he forwent any further words and opened the box and held it up to him. “Will you do the honor of marrying me?”

Jack’s breath was taken away even if he knew what was going to happen. He stared down at the stunning band nestled into the black velvet box. The ring was stunning and perfect in every way he could imagine. The bright silver titanium shone brilliantly against the black velvet making the dark wood inlay and central part of the band, another material he could not place at the current moment, stand out. It was the perfect reflection of both him and Gabriel all in one ring. He whimpered through his tears as he nodded enough that the other man could see, not trusting his own voice in that moment. 

It was enough, because the ring was being plucked from the case as he held out his hand. Around them shouts and cheers rang around the room as his lover slipped the ring onto his left ring finger, it fit perfectly. A kiss was placed to the band hot tears falling onto his skin as the love of his life finally let his emotions take over. Jack knew he should try and keep this at least a little dignified but be decided that it was overrated. He took the moment of Gabriel leaning back on his back leg to ready himself to stand to tackle the man to the ground with a passionate kiss.

“Yes,” he murmured between kisses as he felt strong arms wrap around his back. “Yes, yes...a million times yes.” When he finally pulled back from showering his lover with kisses, he found himself surrounded by their friends smiling face. They helped pull the two of them up off the ground and into hugs of congratulations. Perhaps this night was not going to be so dull after all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jack clung to Gabriel’s arm as they made their way to the suite that Jack had been given for the Gala. He rested his head against his lover’s shoulder earning a kiss against the top of his head for his efforts. He could tell that the man he clung to was absolutely exhausted but trying to put on a strong front. Thankfully the door to his room came into view and he reached into his pocket to remove the keycard.

He let them in allowing Gabriel to move ahead of him as he assured the door was locked securely behind them. He then made his way into the living room where he found his lover pressing his hand against his still healing side. Jack’s heart skipped a beat as he rushed over to the man’s side to check on him. “Angel, are you alright?”

“I’m fine  _ mi  _ _ amor _ .” Came the tired reply. “Just over did it with the mission and everything. That tackle might have tweaked something as well...” he added on absently before he was able to catch himself. He turned around with wide eyes as he caught his mistake and he turned to his now distraught looking fiancé.

“No, no,” Gabriel cooed softly pulling Jack firmly into his chest as he began to sniffle. “Shh,  _ mi  _ _ corazon _ _ ,  _ it’s alright, I’m fine. I didn’t mean it like that please don’t be upset. Please forgive me.” Kisses were pressed to every inch of skin Gabriel could reach while he had his head buried into his shoulder.

“Of course, I forgive you.” Jack finally managed out before pulling away and wiping at his face. “It’s just been a long week of worrying is all. I’m just so glad you’re back.” Jack smiled gently as he placed his hand against his lover’s cheek. Those tired amber eyes closed as he leaned into the gentle touch.

“Let’s go get ready for bed baby.” Jack coaxed gently reaching down to take Gabriel’s hand in his. He turned and led them into the luxurious bedroom. He helped get Gabriel out of his jacket and shirt when it became apparent that removing them himself was going to be a painful ordeal. They shared space in the massive bathroom as they cleaned themselves up and got ready for bed. Jack who finished before his partner helped removed the makeup he had worn for the night. Removing it revealed just how worn out the other man looked. Changing into  sweatpants for the night they were going to call it good for the moment.

“Alright, time for bed I think.” Jack stated firmly as he pushed the older man out the door before him. Though he found himself lagging behind as the love of his life spotted the bed and rushed on over, flopping himself over onto the soft bed and let out a groan of appreciation. The man was just lucky the covers were already pulled down and waiting so he didn’t have to move again. Jack leaned over long enough to place a gentle kiss to the scar that remained of the wound that almost took this amazing man away from him. He then climbed in further pulling the covers up over them before placing a kiss to his fiancé's lips. As soon as he laid his head down Gabriel was in his space and using him as a pillow. And  honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that I have Gabriel singing is Unexpected Song from Song and Dance by Andrea Lloyd Webber. I can't write songs for anything so I had to borrow one that fit and pretend he wrote it. So no credit to me. You can find the original with Sarah Brightman (original Christine from Phantom of the Opera) here: https://youtu.be/WQ3O8o47cQQ  
There is also a few male covers of it as well. Like this one by Michael Crawford (the original Phantom in Phantom of the Opera): https://youtu.be/2G4v3iFl2go
> 
> The ring is here: https://jewelrybyjohan.com/collections/mens-wedding-bands/products/ironwood-ring-meteorite-ti-4246  
They have a lot of amazing and unique rings and I was looking for something different.
> 
> As a note Gabriel knows that Jack will want him to have a matching ring so he already has one ready at home.


End file.
